Survivorship Bias

Chapter 16: Because I can read minds

The situation in the duel was intense.

The Wanderer, Lao Yu, with his 6 health bars, faced off against the Bandit, Liu Chengwei, who had 7 health bars. Initially, Liu Chengwei would have won by a narrow margin, causing Lao Yu to lose one health bar. However, Wu You unexpectedly entered the duel threshold.

“I stand opposite Liu Chengwei,” Wu You’s energy bar above his head was full, and he wore a determined but childlike expression. “I have 4 health bars, so our side’s total is 10.”

Liu Chengwei was furious, but he wasn’t surprised that Wu You stepped up. They had been at odds before, and now that he had become a target, it was even less surprising. He looked at the people outside the duel threshold, their faces covered in crimson light, cold and indifferent.

No one stood up for him, not even Ueno, whom he had considered a companion. Ueno merely looked at Yang Ming for guidance from the sidelines, without making a move.

And so, Liu Chengwei’s health dropped from 7 to 6, and he even got injured by Lao Yu’s dagger during the fight.

Looking at the bloodied Liu Chengwei, An Wujiu remarked softly, “This is what a truly wicked criminal should look like.”

Though Liu Chengwei was full of unwillingness, he didn’t challenge Zhong Yirou to a duel. Zhong Yirou, who had narrowly escaped danger, tried to exchange her ability to restore one health bar with Yang Ming to avoid participating in the duel. However, Yang Ming did not agree.

“You all have the suspicion of being a cultist. Even if I agree, the threat from the cultist is equal for everyone. Who knows who the next victim will be?”

He spoke with a righteous tone, but with hidden motives.

However, his words resonated with the others. In this place of mistrust, no one was willing to easily trust others, especially when there was a risk of the cultist’s involvement.

Resisting Yang Ming was equivalent to resisting the unveiled dangers of Yang Ming as well as the potential hidden dangers. No one was willing to take the risk for someone else.

Helpless, Zhong Yirou took a proactive approach, challenging Lao Yu to a duel and using her ability as an exchange condition. With the support of Wu You and Ueno, she won against Lao Yu with a 10 to 6 advantage, saving her only remaining life.

However, her condition was that whoever was left with the last health bar would receive her help in restoring it.

When it was Zhong Yirou and Liu Chengwei’s turn, it’s unclear whether it was due to Liu Chengwei being injured and discouraged or not wanting to offend the characters who could heal him, but he directly forfeited the duel and lost one health bar.

In the end, Liu Chengwei’s health was reduced to five points, the same as Lao Yu’s count, while Zhong Yirou remained unharmed, sustaining only minor superficial injuries.

After three rounds of dueling, the situation on the field underwent a dramatic change. The once stable trio started showing cracks, and trust among them began to erode.

The red and black lines of others also gradually became apparent during the duels.

The injured Liu Chengwei and Lao Yu walked out of the duel threshold, intending to return to their rooms to use supplies for healing. As they left the room, An Wujiu, who had been waiting outside, placed his hand directly on Liu Chengwei’s shoulder. This made Liu Chengwei uncomfortably look to the side. However, that hand then moved down his shoulder and finally paused for a moment outside the pocket on the right side of his pants.

Lao Yu witnessed this scene as well and was puzzled. He stood still for a couple of seconds.

What the hell happened last night?

If Liu Chengwei truly was a cultist, why would An Wujiu have a connection with him?

Lao Yu couldn’t understand this point, but he also couldn’t make a move against An Wujiu. This was his red line, which held more value than his own survival. Only if An Wujiu survived did Lao Yu have a chance to enter the top four.

Even if An Wujiu had truly allied with the cultist, Lao Yu couldn’t act against him.

He had to find a way to confess his red line to An Wujiu and form an alliance with him.

Having achieved his goal, Wu You stayed at the duel threshold for half a minute. After leaving the duel room, he pulled the zipper of his hoodie all the way up, raised the collar to cover his mouth, and walked straight to the billiard room.

This was the place he had agreed upon with Yang Ming.

Once inside, he picked up the tripod that held the pool balls in place on the table. The balls of various colors were scattered in different directions, rolling to various spots on the table.

Just as he scored a ball, the door was pushed open.

“Your stance looks quite professional,” Yang Ming’s dry voice came from behind.

Wu You put down the cue and turned to face him. “Yang-ge.”

“Just now, I gave you a signal with my eyes, and you responded cleverly,” Yang Ming walked up to the table, picked up another cue stick, wiped some chalk on its tip, then bent down, “After our chat last night, why did you go hang out with Lao Yu again?”

A ball was struck, colliding with a red ball not far away.

“What did you talk about?” Yang Ming asked.

Wu You had his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, speaking in a low voice. “He talked about his younger brother, and I talked about my older brother.”

“Oh? You have an older brother too?” Yang Ming straightened up, looking at him with interest. “How old is he?”

“The same age as me,” Wu You replied.

“Ah, twins, then,” Yang Ming straightened down again and played a nice shot, sending the ball in a straight line.

Wu You didn’t respond explicitly, but to him, it was an acknowledgment.

“What do you think about what I told you last night?” a ball went into the hole, and a smile appeared on Yang Ming’s face.

“Um,” Wu You propped his cue on the ground, “I’ll give it a try, but he might not trust me.”

“An Wujiu is a cunning person. I observed that on the field, only someone like you, a kid, might be able to somewhat lower his guard.”

Wu You softly agreed again and continued, “I saw him putting something into Liu Chengwei’s pocket just now, like a piece of paper or something.”

Yang Ming’s cue stick that was about to hit the ball suddenly stopped, and he squinted at the ball in focus.

At that moment, An Wujiu, the subject of their conversation, was now holding a wine bottle that had run out of fizz. When he saw Ueno passing by, he immediately followed.

“Why are you running away?” He said playfully, “I’m not going to eat you.”

Ueno didn’t know what he was up to and didn’t have time to speak before An Wujiu grabbed his arm and pulled him into the adjacent narrow office.

With a bang, the door was shut.

An Wujiu placed the bottle in his hand on the table where the printer was placed and used his hands to push himself onto the office desk, sitting there.

“What, what are you doing? I need to use the restroom.” Ueno tried to run but An Wujiu stretched out his long leg, placing his foot against the wall next to Ueno, blocking his path.

“Hold it in,” An Wujiu glanced at him, took a deep breath, and adjusted his patience, “Although I’m not a good person, I still have a bit of a gentlemanly demeanor. Wait until I finish speaking, and I’ll naturally let you go.”

Ueno still remembered how he had initially mocked An Wujiu, and now regret was too late. He could only tremble as he spoke, “So, what are you saying…”

An Wujiu fixed his innocent eyes on him. “Right now, besides being afraid of me, aren’t you even a bit afraid of your big brother?”

Ueno knew he was referring to Yang Ming, but he only frowned slightly. “Why would I be afraid of him?”

“Oh, right. Why indeed,” An Wujiu seemed to suddenly forget what he was going to say, looking up at the sky as if pondering. Ueno seized the opportunity to attempt an escape but was kicked by An Wujiu’s leg. He didn’t kick Ueno directly, just hit the wall, blocking his path once again.

“I remember now, this brain of mine,” An Wujiu patted his head and chuckled, “Guess who poses a greater threat to him in your iron triangle.”

“Right now… it’s definitely Liu Chengwei, he might be a cult member.”

An Wujiu shook his head, smiling. “Liu Chengwei is nothing more than a broken knife, good only for being wielded by Yang Ming to kill, nothing else.”

“Now this knife might stab him instead, so of course, he needs to get rid of it and find a new, good knife.”

Ueno’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he nervously asked, “What do you mean?”

“You don’t understand even this?” An Wujiu frowned, showing a hint of pity.

“You are his backup knife, but your survival value is only two points less than his. So, if his red line weren’t connected to you, and you survived…” An Wujiu pursed his lips, “Is that a good thing or a bad thing for him?”

Finishing his sentence, An Wujiu glanced upwards and said, “His secret affection seems to lean more towards Liu Chengwei than you.”

Hearing An Wujiu’s words, Ueno felt a chill in the pit of his stomach.

Of course, he knew that Yang Ming’s secret affection wasn’t directed at him, but the situation was reversed; Ueno’s red line was connected to Yang Ming.

Likewise, he understood An Wujiu’s implication. Yang Ming was not only using him but also wary of his abilities and survival value.

An Wujiu tapped his knee gently with his fingers. “Imagine if this red line wasn’t connected to Liu Chengwei. If Yang Ming knew he was likely a cult member, he probably wouldn’t care much about the probability. For self-preservation, he would have instigated you and others to finish off Liu Chengwei’s remaining five lives on the spot, why would he keep him?”

He made sense. Given Yang Ming’s suspicious and paranoid nature, even if Liu Chengwei had a hint of suspicion, he would have exterminated him without hesitation.

Seeing Ueno’s troubled expression, An Wujiu continued, “If Yang Ming truly wanted to protect you, he definitely wouldn’t let you duel with Liu Chengwei. If you lose a health point, he’ll lose a powerful ally.”

Ueno listened and said, somewhat dazedly, “If he doesn’t want to protect me…”

An Wujiu shrugged. “In the next round, if he makes you duel Liu Chengwei, then you’re done for. I think it’s quite likely, after all, Yang Ming’s mental state must be crumbling.”

Ueno interjected, “He wants to discard me too, kick me out of the alliance…”

An Wujiu burst into laughter. “You’re too naive. Is it really that simple? When it comes time to duel Liu Chengwei, who’s to say he won’t have someone to help him? Don’t forget, among these eight people, there are those who want to curse you too.”

He leaned in closer to Ueno, speaking softly. “Yang Ming isn’t willing to just throw you away. He’d rather kill you once or twice than save you. This way, he can crush your spirit and make you follow him obediently. That’s how you control someone.”

This cruel manipulation was explained in a calm tone that sent shivers down Ueno’s spine.

“However, do you think someone like him would only have you as a backup tool?”

The more Ueno listened, the colder he felt. Indeed, Yang Ming had started interacting with Wu You, and Ueno had no idea about the extent of their cooperation.

“How… how do you know he might think like you…”

An Wujiu laughed and casually pointed his index finger at his own face.

“Because I can read minds,” he chuckled, uttering the most unbelievable statement, then extended his hand towards Ueno, raising an eyebrow.

“Put your hand up.”

Ueno stared at him, too frightened to move.

“I’m running out of patience,” An Wujiu’s mouth turned down, and his gaze suddenly turned cold.

Ueno, after hearing this, hesitantly extended his trembling hand and gently placed it on those fair hands. In the next second, An Wujiu squeezed it tightly, tilted his head back, and his tone became erratic.

“Your red line is Yang Ming and your black line is connected to…” An Wujiu lowered his head, releasing Ueno’s hand, then lightly wiped his own collar. He extended his index and middle fingers, pointing at his own eyes, “The guy with green eyes.”

In an instant, Ueno’s body stiffened. In front of this person, he felt like he was transparent, with every hidden thought exposed.

He knew there was no such thing as mind reading, but An Wujiu had seen through him completely.

“You’re so devoted and loyal to Yang Ming, your red line is far too obvious.” An Wujiu turned his neck, “And as for the black line… Let’s eliminate me first; otherwise, you’d probably be trembling just standing here.”

An Wujiu’s smile was charming, yet it also made Ueno feel dread. He lowered his head, and his backlit gaze was impenetrable.

“You fear Shen Ti the most, for sure.”

“What… what are you planning to do?” Ueno’s shoulders couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

An Wujiu covered his heart with his hand and furrowed his brow, and an expression of grievance appeared as if conjured. “I genuinely had good intentions, and you actually misunderstood me.” After speaking, he let go of his hand, and his expression immediately shifted from vulnerability to arrogance.

“Do you know? In this game, the dumbest but most easily made mistake is helping the person you secretly admire to succeed.”

He continued, “Yang Ming’s condition implies he might secretly admire Liu Chengwei. Even if Liu Chengwei survives till the end, Yang Ming can only gain an additional 2 points, while his own survival value is 8 points, making it a total of 10 points. But… if he curses the person with the second-highest survival value apart from himself, which is Zhong Yirou, then that would be 17 points.”

An Wujiu shook his head, clicking his tongue a few times, “That’s a pretty high score.”

Ueno’s heart felt like it was in a cold lake, unable to muster any emotion or expression. “…He could have easily taken first place.” He had never hoped for the first position to begin with; just making it into the next round alive would suffice.

“Don’t be disheartened.” An Wujiu leaned closer, “As long as he doesn’t curse Zhong Yirou, there’s a chance for you.”

Ueno knew that Yang Ming’s curse target was indeed Zhong Yirou. He was gambling, gambling that this tool before him didn’t know about Yang Ming’s red and black lines.

“Your personal survival value is 6 points, and the secretly admired person’s survival value is 8 points. If Shen Ti dies, you could potentially gain an extra 1 point. This one point might just decide whether you can take first place or not.”

An Wujiu’s words were dense with information, overwhelming Ueno to the point that he couldn’t react properly, couldn’t calculate it all. But even in this tangled mess of words, something was planted in Ueno’s mind.

He kept convincing himself that he shouldn’t believe anything An Wujiu said and shouldn’t take it to heart. An Wujiu was undoubtedly not a good person; he had found him only to use him, or even kill him.

But those words couldn’t be expelled; every word and sentence clung to him like vultures circling a carcass, never dispersing.

He left in a daze, walking through the dark corridors, eventually reaching the meeting room, and plopping down on the couch at the far end. Along the way, an incredibly small and improbable notion took root in his mind.

Could he form an alliance with An Wujiu? Could he ask him to kill Shen Ti?

Whoever it was, if they could help him kill Shen Ti, that would be great. He wanted Shen Ti’s one point; he wanted Shen Ti to die immediately.

Before being discarded by Yang Ming, he wanted to beat Yang Ming; he felt like he could achieve that.

Would Yang Ming abandon him?

Did Yang Ming truly not need him anymore?

In a daze, someone sat down next to him. Ueno turned his head slightly, and it was Yang Ming. It seemed the other hadn’t noticed his distracted state, or perhaps he simply didn’t care about the so-called condition of his pawn. Yang Ming adopted the air of a master, looking down on him, and spoke as if giving orders to a dog.

“I can’t wait any longer. He’s probably a cult member. If we kill him again tonight, there won’t be another chance.”

It was he who wouldn’t have another chance.

Ueno pretended to be puzzled, “Who?”

“Liu Chengwei.” Yang Ming’s tone was cold. “You go challenge him to a duel.”

“Now.”

The author has something to say:

Brainwashed Ueno: If I see through Yang Ming’s true colors and form an alliance with An Wujiu, will he help me kill Shen Ti…

MLM leader An Wujiu: Oh, forgot to tell you, he’s the one I have a crush on. (Wink)